


Super System

by Irhaboggles



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alters, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Headspace, Integration, Parts, Season 3, System, alter, fronting, host - Freeform, multiple - Freeform, personality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:21:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26795806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irhaboggles/pseuds/Irhaboggles
Summary: Even if the rest of the world only saw a monster, Supergirl still had faith that Reign was ultimately good, even if her methods were... extreme. But ever the optimist, Supergirl was ready to do whatever it took to talk Reign down and get her to reconcile with Sam. Remembering what she knew about DID, there was no such thing as an evil Alter. Only a misguided one.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Super System

"Maybe Reign can be reasoned with," ever the optimist, Supergirl tried to talk Lena, Alex, Sam and the rest of the DEO crew down from their plans to try and eliminate Sam's evil alter ego completely.

"Reasoned with?!" the others cried, disbelieving that Supergirl could even _think_ such a thing, let alone suggest it. She, of all people, should've known how dangerous Reign was! After all, it had been _she_ who had nearly been murdered by the other Kryptonian! But Supergirl was insistent.

"It was something I remember Alex mentioning once before," the Kryptonian continued. "Dissociative Identity Disorder."

And that was all she needed to say for the others to understand, but she continued to elaborate anyway.

"Dissociative Identity Disorder is, to put in overly simplistic terms, where one person has multiple personalities, and sometimes, those other personalities, often called Alters, replace the host personality, just the way Reign does with Sam. But the thing is, there really is no such thing as an evil or bad Alter. Yes, Alters can be destructive and aggressive, but they are not evil. It's more someone behaving in a way that, while it may make sense to _them_ , is actually harmful in reality, but it's not necessarily done with malicious intent. It's just someone being out of their element, to use overly simplistic terms again. It's a misguided coping mechanism, I suppose you could say.

"And the reason this is significant is because it means that Alters can be reasoned with. After all, we're not dealing with mindless monsters here. And this isn't just some Jekyll and Hyde case! Which is one of many rather unflattering depictions of DID might I add! But before I digress, I admit that DID is far more nuanced and complex than what I'm saying, but my point still stands. From what I know, every Alter has a certain purpose in its system. Even if that purpose is unclear or unpleasant, and even if the methods they use to achieve that purpose are… harmful, it's still not done with an evil mindset. With that in mind, I truly believe Reign can be reasoned with, and taught to understand the error of her ways!"

"You really think you can get Reign to change her mind on anything?" Sam finally snorted. She didn't mean to sound so harsh, but as the woman who'd been living with Reign in the back of her mind all her life, even if Reign had only started to manifest just recently, the thought of Supergirl being able to tame the wild Kryptonian with just a few kind words seemed laughable and painfully idealistic.

"Yes," Supergirl replied steadfastly, not at all put off by Sam's doubt. "She's an intelligent being. She can understand… if we convince her well enough. Besides, it's not necessarily changing her mind, per se. It's more like… realignment. Or a frame/paradigm shift. Remember what she told us. She considers herself a tool of justice, like myself. That's an admirable thing. The only issue is how she enacts that justice. But the way I see it, if we can get her to see that there are other ways for her to carry out her purpose that don't involve murder, then we can get her to stop these attacks! And even if we still wind up needing to remove Reign from Sam entirely, I still think trying to talk Reign down first is the best idea anyway. Any chance to calm her down now will make any plan we come up with later _that_ much easier. Don't you agree?"

For a time, there was only silence between the group. Understandably, they were all reluctant in trying to talk to Reign, but when no other choice was presented (because Supergirl was also quick to remind them that they currently had no other solution), they were forced to at least consider her proposal. It still wasn't going to be fun or easy, but at least they had the technology they needed in order to reach Reign. And that was another reason for Supergirl's proposal. It wasn't just compassion that created this idea. It was also pragmaticism.

Like Supergirl had said, if they could subdue Reign even just a little, that would make everything else much easier. Furthermore, because they already had the tech they needed to go into Sam's head and speak to Reign, it seemed like the most logical option for them was to actually try to use what they had rather than _only_ focusing on a cure that might not even be possible to create. That wasn't to say they were going to stop looking, but Supergirl brought up a good point that, in the meantime, it would be worthwhile to explore other options.

So at last, the gang caved and they agreed to let Supergirl try to talk to Reign.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Alex asked as the team got ready to send Supergirl into Sam's headspace. For a second, Supergirl looked close to refusing, but when she saw Lena approaching them with a determined look in her eyes, she knew the choice had already been made for her.

"Yes," she said. Then, making sure to look at Lena directly, she added, "Definitely yes. I want both of you to help me with this."

"Good," Lena replied, giving Supergirl a steely look that put her title of "Girl of Steel" on a run for its money. "Sam is my friend too, so you better not count me out on this one," she insisted, almost glaring at the Kryptonian.

"I won't," Supergirl replied with a firm nod. Lena mirrored the gesture before turning to Alex and the three reclined seats behind her…

Seconds later, the trio stood in a cold, dark valley shrouded in mist. Juru. Although they were, in some ways, currently only in Sam's head, they all also knew this valley was all too real, even if it existed in a plane beyond their reach. But Supergirl, continuing to draw parallels to DID, shook her head as she observed their grim surroundings.

"I've read that people with DID imagine their headspaces as certain locations to house the rest of their Alters, and themselves, if they aren't fronting. I wonder if trying to help Sam come up with a less foreboding headspace would be of any use?" But she knew in her heart that it wouldn't be that simple, because this place actually _was_ an alternate dimension, and not just an eerie headspace.

Besides, for all of the similarities between DID and what Sam had, they still were not totally the same. For example, DID was commonly caused when a person suffered a very severe trauma at a very young age. Sam had been specifically bred to be like this. Even though she'd had Reign all her life, the cause wasn't because of some traumatic event her mind was trying to shield her from. And honestly, if anything, _Sam_ was the Alter just because Reign was supposed to have been the only/original personality, even if Sam wound up being the first to front (Reign taking many, many years beyond what was expected to emerge).

"Just curious, how much research have you done on DID?" Alex asked, partly out of curiosity and partly to try to lighten the mood.

"I remember being so fascinated by it the first time you mentioned it that I did a bit of extra research later," Supergirl admitted shyly. "I found quite a few good Youtube channels and other blogs and whatnot scattered across the internet… Entropy System is a good one."

"Not bad, Supergirl, not bad at all," Alex chuckled, and for a second, all three of the women smiled, but only a second later, Reign arrived.

"Well, well, well… Have you come for a rematch?" she taunted, seeming to materialize out of nowhere, floating over their heads.

"No!" Supergirl replied boldly, quick to jump protectively in front of Lena and Alex. "We've come to talk!"

"Talk!" Reign scoffed, voice harsh and almost demonic. "What good will your petty words do? Unless you've come to beg for my mercy…"

"No, Reign, we haven't come to surrender!" Supergirl repeated, still trying to sound bold and authoritative. Reign merely scoffed again, clearly amused by Supergirl's attempt at bravado. "We've come to bargain!" Supergirl continued to insist, and _that_ caught Reign's attention…

For the next hour, Supergirl, Lena and Alex pleaded with Reign while she continued to float tauntingly above their heads. She made no move to come down to their level, but she also made no move to hurt them. Instead, she seemed amused enough to listen to them plead with her, begging her to understand "the error of her ways". Pah! What foolishness! These mortals did not understand the mind of a creature such as she. She was no mere being that could be bargained with! She was but a natural force of nature, an extension of justice itself! She was something that not even Supergirl could fathom, for although they were both of Kryptonian blood, Reign's exact "breed" was infinitely superior.

"And yet, we have the same goals, Reign!" Supergirl pleaded passionately, blue eyes staring deep into Reign's red ones. "We both strive for justice! I believe you want to do good things, and that you want to protect Sam, and the world! But you must understand that although justice does need to be swift and sure, justice is not the same thing as violence or revenge!"

"What you call revenge, I call retribution," Reign replied with a shrug. "Justice has no feeling. It is merely a natural reaction of the universe itself."

"But you can be just in a gentle way," Supergirl continued to argue. "Justice isn't just force."

"Even to the unrepentant? To those who need punishment? Not because they "deserve" it, but because, without punishment, they would continue to harm others?" Reign challenged, and for a second, Supergirl could not reply. Instead, she could only see every enemy she'd ever fought in her life. Some battles did end in death, but even the ones that ended with villains behind bars still resulted in a rather cold, harsh justice. Reign was not wrong saying that justice did sometimes need to be severe in order to be effective.

"But true justice should be equivalent to the crime, not more severe," Lena came to Supergirl's aid, now it was her turn to confront the Worldkiller. "Before you argue about setting examples and deterrents, I argue that any world built upon that type of fear fear is inherently unjust because it inflicts a psychological punishment upon everyone, even the innocent."

"There are no innocents left in this world anyway," Reign replied coldly. "All are guilty to some extent…"

"But punishment alone will not create a better world. Instead, at best, it will only keep people at their current states. But there will be no growth!" Lena continued to insist before she shifted gears towards a more personal memory with the Worldkiller.

"Listen to me, Reign, regardless of how you view yourself or your purpose, I know there is good in you, because I've seen it. I remember the day Morgan Edge threatened me in Sam's presence, and you went after him almost immediately!" the Luthor cried, causing Reign to pause in thought. This was a day the Worldkiller did indeed remember. Like Lena had said, Edge had tried to intimidate her, coming to CatCo to threaten her. Sam had been there on that day. Even though nothing happened in the moment, just seeing Edge try to scare Lena like that had been enough of a trigger for Reign. It set off something in Sam's subconscious and, not long after the incident, Reign had emerged to go after Edge and, in her own words, sending a warning to anyone else who may have similar ideas.

"I really do appreciate what you did for me then, Reign," Lena promised, eyes wide with sincerity, her voice softening at the memory. Though it was a guilty pleasure, Lena could not deny a happiness at the thought that Sam felt _that_ protective of her, and even more so, that Reign seemed to agree with it. "I felt happy knowing you were willing to protect me like that, and that you wouldn't just let Edge get away with it. It was definitely a good and just thing you did. But you did not need to punish him in the exact way that you did…"

Although Reign honestly had not harmed Edge too terribly, the way in which she sought to scare him off had been a bit over the top when compared to his immediate crime. He still deserved it, and even more, as they all later learned, but in that one moment, Reign's dramatic entrance had been quite ferocious. Far too domineering for what Edge had done in that moment. But remembering how protectively Reign had behaved that day was something Lena never forgot, and it was part of why she had agreed to join this mission. Supergirl's words about "evil" Alters simply being personalities trying to handle things in an unhealthy way spoke to her and she was more than willing to try to talk to Reign.

And then it was Alex's turn, trying to remind Reign of Ruby. Even though, in the past, Reign had tried to get Sam to kill Ruby and kneel to her, Alex tried to get Reign to see that if she truly was as just as she claimed, she would _protect_ Ruby, not hurt her. And even if Reign somehow saw killing Ruby as some sort of justice, Alex then tried to do what Supergirl and Lena had done before her and convince her that there was another way to do things. Reign seemed to think that her way was the only way, but the other three were trying to get her to see that this was not the truth.

The trio spent the next couple hours like this, trying to reason with Reign, and it began to work, however unwittingly. Although Reign had told herself she'd never be swayed by their words, she was still amused enough to listen and that was all Supergirl, Lena and Alex had wanted.

"I know you can do this, Reign," Supergirl murmured passionately. "I know you can find a way to reconcile with Sam and find the justice that you've been seeking." For a moment, Reign only sneered again. She hated her Host, considering Sam a waste of space. In Reign's mind, she was the superior personality and the entire world would be better off if the "Sam" portion of her was silenced forever. But before she could reaffirm her disgust over her Host, Supergirl continued to try to soothe her.

"And Lena and Alex and I will help you. We'll _all_ help you. We'll try to help you get accustomed to this new life and this new world, so that way, you understand that, at least here on Earth, there is more than one way to see justice done. I know the world you came from raised you to believe that violence was the only answer, but I promise you that's not the truth. You don't have to be bound by what you did in the past any longer. I know it doesn't seem like an option to you right now, but I promise that it is, and I promise that it is so much better than you think…"

Supergirl began to wind down the chat. As well as today had gone, it was going to take a lot long than one chat to change Reign's way of thinking. But the Superfriends could not simply remain in Juru for that entire process. Instead, it was time for them to go for now.

"But we will be back, I promise!" Supergirl finished, and in that same breath, she pressed the button that would take her, Alex and Lena home.

"Wait. What?!" Reign had been so focused on Supergirl's words that she didn't notice Supergirl's action until it was too late. The other Kryptonian hit the button and before Reign could do anything, the trio disappeared into thin air, leaving her alone in Juru once again.

But Supergirl made good on her word, and even though Alex and Lena weren't always able to accompany her, she did continue to try to talk Reign down. The future encounters did sometimes end in fights, just because Reign hated letting Supergirl go without a fight, and she was secretly embarrassed that the other Kryptonian had tricked her after their first encounter, but Supergirl was always able to get out in time.

Then, in time, against all odds, Supergirl's plan started to work. Reign was by no means tamed, but she was becoming less hostile. Not only did she attack Supergirl less, but she even plagued Sam less. Less voices, less nightmares, less lost time and memories. Reign was still very much an active force in Sam's head, but it was not like the early stages when she was constantly struggling for control over their shared body. Instead, something almost like a truce began to form…

"Well, she still is far from happy," Sam admitted with tired eyes. "But she hasn't threatened to kill anyone recently, so I guess that's good." She gave a dry laugh, but her face softened the longer she stared at Supergirl, Lena and Alex. "Thank you guys, really. I never thought I'd ever understand what was wrong with me, and not only did you guys figure it out, but you've also been such a huge help to me and you've even managed to somehow get Reign to take it down a few notches. I will forever be in all of your debts…" she gave each of the trio a meaningful look, but they all brushed it off embarrassedly, mumbling about duty and friendship. Sam could only laugh. Ever the humble heroes!

But even if they tried to brush off their chats with Reign, no one could deny the positive impact they were having. It still was not as simple as just convincing Reign to be good, but as she was slowly starting to experience a sense of safety from Supergirl and the others, she began to act out less often. Whether she was aware of it or not, the Superfriends were planting seeds in her mind and they were actually growing.

After enough time, she even began to speak to Sam on neutral, non-threatening terms, and Sam somehow managed to muster up something of a deal with Reign, trying to agree on when, where, why and how each one would front. It still wasn't the equivalent of saying Sam had control over Reign, but they were starting to actually work together as one system rather than constantly standing at odds with one another.

Sam managed to get Reign to agree to take over if serious action was needed, but only if the situation was dire enough. Furthermore, it was agreed that if Reign wanted to come out just to patrol the city, or something equally mundane and harmless, she would be allowed to, but only under the condition that she would take no immediate action, even if something was wrong. Instead, she would wait for backup first. In return, Sam would allow Reign to front more often and more easily. It was a risky move, but Reign seemed open to the idea. And just as Supergirl had said before, any chance at reconciliation with Reign would make any of their future plans much easier to carry out.

"Maybe one day we'll integrate," Sam remarked with a tired smile as she reported back to Supergirl, Lena and the others of the DEO.

"That would be incredible," Lena smiled supportively, reaching out to squeeze Sam's arm affectionately.

"Oh, I doubt it will ever happen," Sam gave the Luthor a sad laugh. "I was just thinking out loud."

"Well, whether you and Reign decide to integrate or not, I'm glad you guys are at lest able to work things out," Lena replied.

"Oh trust me, me too!" Sam heaved a huge sigh. Although life still hadn't been normal, at least it was easier now. Now that she was aware of her system, she was able to better maintain it. That meant less issues, less fights, less lost time and memories. Although Reign would sometimes still switch without consent, it wasn't as bad as it used to be. Especially now that Reign could trust that Sam would work _with_ her rather than against.

"Maybe someday, you and Reign will be able to help Supergirl in her adventures!" Ruby offered, earning a laugh from everyone else. Now _there_ was an idea! Supergirl would call on Sam for help and Sam would bring out her inner Reign and help the Girl of Steel save the day!

"Well, hey, if Reign is ever up for it, I'd welcome her partnership," Supergirl replied with a warm smile, winking at Sam. But she honestly meant it. Now that Reign was starting to trust Sam and be more accommodating (at least, as accommodating as someone like her could get) Supergirl felt ready to continue to test this shaky alliance and keep on working with Reign. But only if the situation demanded it. Otherwise, Reign remained in Sam's headspace. It was still the gloomy copy of Juru, but Reign seemed to like it that way, and not wishing to test her limits, Sam decided to leave it at that rather than try to reimagine anything.

"I don't think we've gotten quite that far," Sam chuckled.

"Ah, we got time," Supergirl shrugged good-naturedly. "Until then, I think you're doing fine just the way you are and we're all so proud of you!"

"Yes we are," Lena was swift to agree, also smiling warmly at Sam.

"Awww, you guys," Sam looked down with a blush, rubbing the back of her neck shyly.

"No, come on, we mean it!" Alex encouraged as well as she joined the group. "You've come a long way and that's awesome. Be proud of it!"

"Well, I couldn't have done it without your support," Sam looked back up to meet the eyes of every person in the room. "I know you guys aren't technically part of my system, of course you aren't, but I still consider you a vital part of it, and we sure do make a great team, don't we?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Supergirl, Lena, Alex and Ruby all agreed.

"I'd say that we make one _Super_ System!" Ruby added a second later, putting heavy emphasis on the "Super" part of her sentence. This earned a laugh from all the others and Sam ruffled her daughter's hair fondly.

"Oh, what am I going to do with you?" she asked affectionately.

"Hey! I think it's an awesome name!" Ruby pretended to huff indignantly.

"Oh it is, definitely, _super_ cool," Alex winked. Ruby gave her a huge smile and two thumbs up in response, earning another round of laughter.

"Although, I'm not so sure if Reign would approve," Sam joked.

"Great, all the more reason to use it," Lena snickered.

"Oh, you're terrible!" Sam pretended to swat Lena's arm.

"Eh, what can I say? Guess it's just my inner Luthor!" Lena gave Sam a wicked wink.

"Well, then let's just say that the _Super_ System is us," Ruby gestured to herself and the others in the room. "If Reign ever questions the name, you can just say that you meant us instead!"

"Clever," Lena complimented, smiling down at Ruby, who looked quite pleased with herself.

"Ugh, you guys are really vouching hard for this "Super System" name, aren't you?" Sam shook her head, trying hard to hide a smile.

"Yes," Lena, Alex, Ruby and even Supergirl all spoke in perfect unison and without any hesitation at all.

"Alright, alright, fine, you win!" Sam laughed. "I still think it's a stupid name though."

"But it's _our_ stupid name," Ruby corrected her mother proudly.

"I guess it is," Sam chuckled warmly as she smiled at everyone else in the room again. She honestly did feel so lucky to have such a strong, supportive, understanding family at her back. Especially during times as trying as these. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't deny that Ruby had a point. They certainly were one Super System. And Sam was, for the first time, starting to believe that Reign truly could be a part of that system someday. Maybe not now, maybe not even soon, but one day… And until that day, Sam had an awesome support group to help her through it. Yes, they were most definitely a Super System.

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Please forgive me if there were any inaccuracies about DID in here and please let me know immediately if you find any. I just wanted to give Reign something of a redemption arc as well as helping her avoid the cliché "She is the Hyde to Sam's Jekyll and must be dealt with accordingly" plotline that the actual show gave her. Even if my version is sappier, I want to see a harmonious DID story rather than just the endless "Good/original personality must kill evil Alter".


End file.
